The present invention relates to a device, system and a method for labeling three-dimensional objects, such as vials that are used in chemical analysis.
Several methods for placing identification information onto three-dimensional objects currently exist. One method utilizes an adhesive to adhere the identification information to the surface of the object, such as by attaching an identifying label. Another involves printing the identification information on the surface of the object, such as through the use of ink. The information could also be stamped into the surface of the object. Alternatively, the identification information may be etched into the surface of the object through the use of a laser or other etching tool. Another method involves placing the identification information onto a tag and tying the tag to the object.
For many three-dimensional objects, however, the currently available methods for placing identification information onto the objects are not compatible with the manner in which the objects are used in certain industries. One example of such an object is a vial used in chemical analysis. Chemical analysis involves the exposure of a sample to one or more treatments which may be used to determine the identity and/or relative concentration of constituent chemicals in that sample. Bioanalytical chemistry is one variant of this process which involves the study of samples from various, biological origins such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, tissue, bile, and cerebrospinal fluid. In some studies, large numbers of samples are generated to provide either statistical validity, or a representation of change during a dynamic process such as metabolism, which changes one chemical entity into another. Sample vials are typically small, and hold volumes on the order of 300 xcexcL. Managing large numbers of small sample vials during a process which may involve transfer of vials to different devices, such as fraction collectors, centrifuges, autosamplers, mixers, or incubators, presents the opportunity for confusion of sample identity unless those vials are clearly labeled.
An example of a process in bioanalytical chemistry that requires clearly labeled vials is fraction collection. Fraction collection is a process which allocates fluid from a continuously flowing stream into a series of collection vessels arranged sequentially. The sequence of the collection vessels is extremely critical in several applications of fraction collection, including but not limited to, liquid chromatography, column chromatography, microdialysis sampling, automated blood sampling, and ultrafiltration sampling. The material eluting from a column, probe or other device represents a discrete series of chemical events or changes. The progress of these chemical events can be identified only through the correct sequencing of vials during subsequent analysis.
Fraction collection and the chemical analysis techniques required to analyze the collected samples rarely occur simultaneously. A normal procedure requires that samples be collected and then stored before being transferred to a separate device for analysis or further processing, such as centrifugation, heating, or freezing. Fraction collection samples are frequently collected in small, e.g. 300 xcexcL, glass vials which may be capped and sealed before or after the collection process. These vials are loaded into an X-Y type grid or circular carousel before collection and then must be transferred to a holding device or another type of grid or carousel if they will be stored or processed for analysis. During the process of transfer, it is relatively easy for an operator to mistakenly transfer one or more vials out of the correct order or sequence. It is also possible for the operator to drop one or more vials during the transfer process, losing the sample or altering the relative order of the samples in the collection sequence.
Another process in bioanalytical chemistry that requires clearly labeled vials is autosampling. Autosampling is the xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d of fraction collection. During autosampling, the vials containing samples are arranged in order and then the fluid inside the vials is removed in that same sequence by the autosampler and transferred to a device such as a gas or liquid chromatograph or a mass spectrometer. Autosampling is generally done just prior to the final analysis of a material, or as part of the final analytical step. Since the correct arrangement of the vials is critical, proper sample identification is vital. Mistakes can occur since these vials are generally loaded with the sample in a remote location and during a separate process such as fraction collection, manual pipetting, or another dispensing operation.
Most methods for organizing the handling of multiple sample vials use the concept of a rack. In the rack approach vials are transferred by hand into a container which has an individual hole for each vial. These holes are typically arranged in an array of one or more rows and columns. This container or rack is then carried to the next processing step, where the vials are then either unloaded from the rack and reloaded into a different rack, or the rack itself is placed into another device so that the samples are processed in the same sequence. Obviously, the least potential for error exists in the scenario where vials are loaded into a rack, and not removed from the rack throughout the battery of analyses. However, it is rare that the user has an option of using the same rack for all steps of the process. More frequently, the fractions are collected in one rack, stored in another and finally analyzed in yet another rack. Each step requires the transfer of multiple sample vials, with the concomitant risk of dropping or misplacing samples thereby destroying the original and required sequence of vials.
The current methods of placing identification information onto three-dimensional objects are not sufficient for labeling vials used in bioanalytical chemical analysis. Using adhesive labels to apply identification information is not optimal because adhesives on labels can loosen allowing the label to detach from the vial. This detachment of the label from the vial is accelerated by freezing and or refrigeration that occurs in some bioanalytical testing procedures, as temperature changes, and condensation induced by such changes, can have a deleterious effect on adhesives. Additionally, if the identification information on the adhesive label is ink, it can become smudged and unreadable due to repeated handling and exposure to the solvents and fumes which may be used during an analytical procedure. During fraction collection, adhesive labels could critically alter test data as the labels can cant the vial to one side, ruining the critical alignment of the vial relative to a perpendicular collection cannula. Further, if the identification information on a vial needs to be changed, an additional label must be added to the vial, further affecting the alignment of the vial, or the original label must be painstakingly removed. Also, applying adhesive labels to each small vial is tedious and time-consuming.
Printing the identification information onto the surface of the vial with ink is not acceptable because the ink can become smudged and unreadable just as the ink on adhesive labels. Additionally, due to the small size of the vials and their glass or plastic construction, labeling each vial individually and legibly using a pen is a tedious and time-consuming chore. Processes such as pre-engraving, bar-coding, or stamping the identification information directly onto the vials add to the expense of each vial, require that vials be pre-arranged in order, and, depending on the process used, may not provide numbers or codes that are easily readable, or readable without a special device such as a bar-code scanner. Additionally, any identification information placed directly onto vials by processes such as these do not permit easy alteration of the information. Such alteration may be desirable, for example, to identify multiple vials as members of one group by causing the first or last symbol of the identification information on all of the vials to be the same. Tying a label to a vial is also not effective, because the material used to tie the label to the vial will likely affect the alignment of the vial and tying a label to each individual vial would be extremely time-consuming. Additionally, none of these current methods for labeling three-dimensional objects are capable of labeling multiple objects at one time.
Further, these current methods for labeling three-dimensional objects are not capable of satisfying a current need in the chemical analysis industry, namely a quick and inexpensive means of labeling vials at multiple points in the analytic process to track the progression of vials through the process. Currently, if a vial is to be tracked through various stages of a process, after each stage the identification information on the vial must be recorded. For example, if the identification information on the vial is a barcode, the barcode is scanned after each stage of the process signifying to a computer attached to the scanner that the vial has completed that stage. Alternatively, an adhesive label of a certain color could be applied to the vial after it has completed a certain stage. However, in bioanalytical testing, the addition of more adhesive labels could alter a vial""s alignment. Also, neither the barcode method or the colored adhesive label method permit the marking of multiple vials at one time.
For the foregoing reasons there is a need for a relatively inexpensive device that permits quick and simple labeling of three-dimensional objects, such as vials. A device that enables easy removal of the identification information and that does not alter the alignment of the object is also needed. A further need is for a device that attaches identification information to an object such that the attachment is capable of withstanding the repeated handling and extreme temperature changes inherent in bioanalytical chemical testing. A device is needed that permits the addition of identification information to an object that is easily read, easily altered, and resistant to smudging and smearing. Additionally, there is a need for a device that is capable of labeling vials at various stages in an analytical process to permit tracking of the vial through the process.
The present invention comprises a device, system, and method for labeling three-dimensional objects. In one embodiment of the device of the present invention, the device comprises a sheet having a carrier portion and at least one tag removably attached to the carrier portion. Each tag in the device has an aperture therethrough, and the aperture is so dimensioned that an engagement may be created between the aperture and the outside surface of a three-dimensional object. The strength of this engagement is greater than the strength of the tag""s removable attachment to the carrier portion of the sheet.
In another embodiment of the device of the present invention, the device comprises a sheet having two layers, a tag layer and a backing layer, lightly adhered together by a weak adhesive. The tag layer has a carrier portion and at least one tag removably attached to the carrier portion. Each tag has an aperture therethrough, and the aperture is so dimensioned that an engagement may be created between the aperture and the outside surface of a three-dimensional object. The backing layer has at least as many holes therethrough as the number of apertures in the tag layer. Each aperture in the tag layer is aligned with a corresponding hole in the backing layer. The strength of the engagement between the aperture and the three-dimensional object is greater than the combined strength of the tag""s removable attachment to the carrier portion of the sheet and the adhesive attachment of the tag layer to the backing layer.
In one embodiment of the system of the present invention, the system comprises at least one sheet as in the device of the invention, a sheet holder, and a means for removably attaching at least one sheet to the sheet holder. In one embodiment of the system, the sheet holder is a vial rack, and in another embodiment the sheet holder is a vial carousel. The means for removably attaching a sheet to the sheet holder is a cover in one embodiment of the system of the present invention. In another embodiment, such means comprises an adhesive. In a further embodiment of the system, the means for removably attaching a sheet to the sheet holder comprises at least one registration protrusion extending upward from the sheet holder and at least one registration hole in the sheet for receipt of the at least one registration protrusion.
In an embodiment of the method of the present invention, the method comprises providing a sheet as in the device of the present invention, inserting the first end of a three-dimensional object into the aperture in one of the tags in the sheet, moving the object through the aperture until the aperture reaches a desired contact point on the object, and moving the object in the opposite direction, thereby removing the tag containing the aperture from the carrier portion of the sheet such that the tag remains attached to the contact point of the object. In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the method comprises providing a sheet as in the device of the present invention, providing a sheet holder as in the system of the present invention, removably attaching the sheet to the sheet holder, inserting the first end of a three-dimensional object into the aperture in one of the tags in the sheet, moving the object through the aperture until the aperture reaches a desired contact point on the object, and moving the object in the opposite direction, thereby removing the tag containing the aperture from the carrier portion of the sheet such that the tag remains attached to the contact point of the object.
The device, system, and method of the present invention satisfy the need for labeling a three-dimensional object quickly and easily. They further satisfy the need for a labeling method that doesn""t alter the alignment of the labeled object. The present invention provides a device that enables attachment of identification information to an object such that the attachment is capable of withstanding repeated handling and extreme temperature variations. The need for a manner of adding identification information to an object that is easily read, easily altered, and resistant to smudging and smearing is also met by the present invention. The device, system, and method of the invention permit easy tracking objects at various stages in a process. Additionally, the need for a system that enables easy removal of the identification information is met by the present invention.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.